‘Nowhere to Flee’ Sherman Strikes Again

Once they finish their education, droves of young Californians are fleeing to Right to Work states, where real incomes are higher. Golden State Rep. Brad Sherman (center) wants to deny them the chance to flee. Credit: www.house.gov

Union-Label Solon Bringing Back Right to Work Destruction Scheme

Big Labor Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman thinks he knows how to stop employees and employers from fleeing forced-unionism states like his native California: Make sure there’s nowhere in the country they can go where the Right to Work is protected.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, between April 1, 2000 and July 1, 2009, a net total of 1.51 million Californians left the Golden State.

And the reason there is a huge net outflow of people, disproportionately young employees and entrepreneurs, from California to other states isn’t because Americans have suddenly grown tired of sunny days and moderate temperatures!

From 2000-2009, Net Total Of Five Million Americans Fled Forced-Unionism States

Rather, people are leaving California, over which forced dues-collecting government union bosses now wield more power than ever before, because they can find much better job opportunities and earn higher real incomes elsewhere — typically in a Right to Work state.

Right to Work laws now on the books in 22 states protect employees, both private- and public-sector, from being fired for refusal to pay dues or so-called “agency” fees to an unwanted union.

Overall, from 2000 to 2009, a net total of 4.97 million Americans moved from forced-unionism states and Washington, D.C., to Right to Work states. That’s on top of a net population transfer of nearly five million Americans to Right to Work states during the 1990’s.

Over the years, respected economists have shown time and again that living costs are lower, and real incomes are higher, in Right to Work states than in forced-union-dues states. Scholars who have reported such findings include Dr. James Bennett, of George Mason University’s Nobel Prize-winning economics department, and Dr. Barry Poulson, past president of the North American Economics and Finance Association.

Both employees and businesses benefit from being able to flee high-cost, high-tax, forced-unionism states like California.

But to forced-unionism zealots like Mr. Sherman, the existence of a Right to Work alternative creates an “unlevel playing field” that must be flattened by a new federal law imposing forced dues and fees nationwide.

This summer, Mr. Sherman is circulating among his colleagues a letter urging them to join him in sponsoring legislation that would wipe out all 22 current state Right to Work laws by repealing Section 14(b) of the federal Taft-Hartley Act, which explicitly authorizes states to enact such laws.

If this scheme were to become law, private-sector employees in Right to Work states would no longer be protected from being forced to pay union dues or fees as a job condition, though states would retain the ability to protect state and local government employees’ Right to Work.

National Right to Work Committee President Mark Mix recalled that Mr. Sherman had previously introduced his 14(b) Repeal Bill in 2008, before forced-unionism apologist Barack Obama became President.

“Of course, the time was not yet ripe for a full-scale attack on 14(b) in 2008. Even today, union strategists appear to be nervous about trying to ram such legislation through Congress,” Mr. Mix noted.

Brad Sherman ‘Says What Big Labor Is Thinking’

“Nevertheless, Mr. Sherman’s union-boss patrons clearly don’t mind that he is beating the drum for 14(b) repeal now, because Right to Work destruction is their goal. Brad Sherman says what Big Labor is thinking,” Mr. Mix continued.

“Right to Work supporters should take heed: Unless they can break Big Labor’s stranglehold on Congress this year, they must expect to have to fight in 2011 and 2012 not just against familiar power grabs like the ‘card-check’ forced-unionism bill, but also for the very preservation of state Right to Work laws.

“Big Labor puppet that he is, Congressman Sherman has done Right to Work supporters a favor by reminding them what is at stake.”